10 Movies That Should Have Been Included in the National Film Registry By Now

The Library of Congress€™ National Film Registry is a treasure trove of excellence in filmmaking. It has everything from silent films to animated shorts, avant-garde fare to Hollywood blockbusters, documentaries to old-time serials. To be eligible for inclusion, a film must be at least ten years old and meet the simple threshold of being €œculturally, historically or aesthetically significant€. As of 2012, 575 films have been preserved. 25 more will join them at the end of the year. But there are literally dozens of classic films out there that are long overdue for inclusion. Whether we grew up with them as kids or discovered them at some point along our film-watching odyssey, they deserve to be placed among the very best of American cinema. Here are ten of what I consider to be likely contenders for inclusion in the registry. They represent a wide variety of genres and filmmaking techniques.

10. Mary Poppins

The registry includes a handful of Disney€™s animated features but so far has not deemed any of its live-action output worthy of consideration. I don€™t think I€™ll get any arguments when I say that Disney€™s record when it comes to live-action movies has been uneven over the years. But in 1964, they outdid themselves with a sumptuous film version of P.L. Travers€™ book series about a magical nanny. With memorable performances by Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke and unforgettable songs by the Sherman brothers, this childhood favorite may be excessively sentimental at times but it remains one of Disney€™s proudest achievements. And where else in the history of film can you see dancing chimney sweeps?
 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

I am a fan of film, Doctor Who (and sci-fi in general), fantasy, the adventure genre of gaming (the Myst series in particular), making lists and caesar salad.